Some of their issues—though not the defensive ones—come with an asterisk, because point guard Steve Nash is still sidelined with a non-displaced fracture in his leg. He told the Los Angeles Daily News late Sunday night that he won't be ready in time for the team's three-game road trip.

Steve Nash has played in two of the Lakers' 17 games this season. (AP Photo)

"Another 10 days to two weeks?" Nash, who has missed all but two of the Lakers' games, said of his recovery time. "That's a total guess. Since I can't run, I'm not going to play this week."

Nash, 38, is doing agility drills and shooting pregame jumpers, and for now that will have to suffice.

"The recovery time is getting better," Nash said. "But it's a small improvement."

As for the Lakers who are actually playing, they regressed after Friday's 122-point effort in a blowout win over Denver.

"Seems like we can't get out of our own way," D'Antoni said after the Magic game. "I think our problem is just not coming out with the intensity and the purpose that we need to have. ... We're slow right now. Just athletically, we're struggling with young teams that run up and down."